Many refrigerants, especially “F-gases” which contain the element fluorine, are such good heat absorbers that if they escape to Earth’s atmosphere they add significantly to the greenhouse effect and hence to our climate crisis. We must manage them to absolutely minimise the amount that escapes.

You have, I hope, heard of greenhouse gases, especially CO₂ – carbon dioxide. Artificial refrigerants are much more potent than CO₂: the typical content of a car air conditioning  system – say 500 grams of “R-134a” – has an effect equivalent to 650 kilos of CO₂. That is roughly what my car would emit over 4750 km / 2950 miles.

Due to this powerful greenhouse effect, Project Drawdown estimates that tight control over refrigerant escapes has among the highest potentials of all climate solutions worldwide. On its own it could reduce future global warming by roughly half a degree C.

Gas escapes can occur through bad design, ignorance, laziness, carelessness, accident, etc. Losses can occur in manufacture, storage, transport, filling of equipment, leakage, equipment servicing, and disposal of equipment and containers.

The greatest losses arise from equipment disposal; servicing is the next worst. It is no coincidence that these events often involve end-users and workers who know little or nothing of the risks and regulations.

Do YOU know and take care how (and how not) to dispose of an old fridge? Does the person who collects it from you, and so on down the chain?